


Superman Comes Out

by Melisande



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-08
Updated: 2007-05-08
Packaged: 2017-10-12 05:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melisande/pseuds/Melisande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Superman Comes Out

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Alisanne, as always, for beta and handholding.

  
"It's the right thing to do," Clark said again, looking across the coffee table at Lex with an expression of equal stubbornness and pleading. "You know it is."

  
Lex sighed and reached for his drink. Yes, it was the right thing to do. In a sense. The right thing for that hypothetical confused, lonely, gay kid in Kansas who'd be comforted and inspired to learn that Superman was gay, too. Clark had gotten tears in his eyes as he'd conjured the kid up, and all the other closeted gay kids who apparently just needed the Superman seal of approval to come out. The thing was, Lex didn't give a fuck about the kid, or anyone else except Clark, and having Superman come out would be a huge burden on Clark. However, Clark seemed to have reached a point where _not_ announcing Superman's sexual identity would be even more of a burden. Lex sighed again, sipped his Scotch, and moved across to straddle Clark.

  
"Okay."

  
Clark grinned up at Lex, then hugged him close. "I knew you'd see it my way when I explained it!"

  
It was worth it just to put that glow on Clark's face. However…

  
"We need to have a plan," Lex said, leaning back so he could look at Clark, always one of his favorite things to do. "Are you going to tell Lois? Or call a press conference? Or just show up at Ellie's one night in the uniform?" he asked, naming the little club they liked to dance at. "They'll _love_ those red boots." He smirked at Clark and bent forward to press a kiss to the line between his eyebrows. He knew Clark hadn't thought this through, he'd just decided to do it. The details were Lex's department.

  
"I guess Lois." Clark frowned as he absently ran his big hands up and down Lex's sides. "Except, you know, she has this big crush on Superman."

  
"I know." That was one of the good things about this. Lex was tired of reading Lois's breathless girly stories about his boyfriend. He'd be extremely happy for her to know that she didn't stand a chance. "And for that reason it's best that you tell her yourself."

  
"Yeah." Clark didn't look happy about it. He was beginning to realize a little of what this would involve, which was good, but Lex couldn't stand it when Clark was unhappy.

  
"We'll talk about what you'll say to her tomorrow," he whispered in Clark's ear. "Right now, how about showing me exactly how gay Superman is?" He wiggled on Clark's lap and nibbled his earlobe. "We need to be sure about that."

  
"Well, Luthor, actions speak louder than words," Clark said in his Superman voice, trying and failing to stifle his Clark Kent grin. He gathered Lex up in his arms and supersped to their bedroom. "Superman is going to suck your cock. How gay is that?" he whispered as he slowly kissed his way down Lex's body.

  
"Gnnnh," Lex replied.

  
~~

  
Clark waited, idly editing a story he'd written that morning before going to see Lois. He'd told her to meet him at a coffee shop that was a half hour drive from the Planet to give himself time to get back and settle in. He figured it would take her 20 minutes. Yes, there she was, high heels clicking rapidly as she walked towards him. Everyone in the newsroom could tell she had a scoop, or thought she did. Her excitement was almost palpable. He was glad she was treating it as a story and not as a tragedy to her fantasy life.

  
"Wake up, Kent!" she said loudly. He was awake, he'd been awake since five, when Lex had called a meeting to discuss Superman's upcoming interview with Lois. Once Lex decided to do something, he really threw himself into it. He hadn't had much time to prepare but somehow he'd come up with a list of points to be made, those to be avoided, and charts of the projected public response. Lex was enjoying this campaign, as he called it. Clark smiled fondly at the memory of Lex in his pajama bottoms pacing the kitchen and drilling Clark with practice questions.

  
"I take it Superman had something for you," he said.

  
"Just the biggest story ever!" Lois said, then looked around suspiciously. As if anyone at the Planet would dare to steal her story.

  
"Well?" he asked. "What?" Lois liked feed lines, so he gave them to her.

  
She scooted forward until she was almost in his lap and hissed in his ear, "He's gay!"

  
"He is?" Clark said with just the right amount of surprise. He faked thinking about this news. "Huh."

  
"Clark, this is huge! Perry'll probably give me half the front page for it!"

  
"Probably," Clark agreed with an internal wince. "You know, I kind of thought he might be," he said, just to tweak her. She didn't disappoint him.

  
"Oh, sure you did," she said, rolling her eyes. "Because you're gay and so you have gaydar."

  
"No, it's that outfit he wears. What straight guy flies around in spandex?" He'd just set himself up for weeks of hell, so he figured he'd better take his fun while he could.

  
"But what gay guy has such terrible fashion sense?" she countered.

  
"Superman, apparently," he replied, trying not to let his irritation show. He was really tired of people complaining about his uniform. Well, it was only Lex, but he complained enough for any ten other people. Lex had wanted all black.

  
"Yes!" Lois exclaimed, remembering her scoop. "This is the human interest story on Superman I've been waiting for!"

  
"He's not human," Clark pointed out, just to annoy her.

  
"What _ever_ , Kent," she said, waving away this detail. "People are going to eat it up. I can probably turn it into a series."

  
Oh, hell. "You don't think people will turn against him because of it?" Lex had projected that only ten to fifteen percent of the Metropolis population would react negatively to the revelation. And as for them, Lex had concluded eloquently, "Fuck 'em." Clark agreed.

  
"No, Superman's too big, too special, too important. Everyone loves him, they won't stop now."

  
Clark turned away as he felt a blush rising. "Lois," he said, not looking at her, "you seem to be okay with this." She'd told him all about her crush on Superman in embarrassing detail. At least he wouldn't have to listen to that anymore.

"Clark, I could never figure out why he wasn't interested in me." Of course she couldn't. "This explains it."

  
That was one worry off Clark's mind. He hadn't broken Lois' heart and her ego was intact. Not that he'd been worried about the ego.

  
"I wonder if he'd like David?" she mused, looking thoughtful. "Or Andy, he and Stu just broke up…."

  
Now he had a new worry.

  
~

  
"Clark, won't you at least consider getting an assistant?" Lex asked with, he thought, admirable restraint.

  
"No, Lex, I want to do this myself," Clark muttered, reaching for another letter from the mountain of envelopes that had taken over their living room in the last three weeks. "This one is from a woman in Des Moines whose daughter is gay."

  
"And this picture is from Troy," Lex said, holding the 8 x 10 glossy with the tips of his fingers. "Who likes sushi, tighty whities, and you." He threw the picture to the floor and picked up another one. "And here's Dale, a _big_ Superman fan." Lex looked at Dale for a moment. He really was big. "And Jon…."

  
"I just send those guys the letter you wrote, mostly." Clark tore open another envelope. A picture of a naked man lying face down spilled out. Across his back was the legend "Help! I Need You, Superman!" with an arrow pointing to his ass. Clark looked at it for a second too long, then tossed it aside.

  
"Clark," Lex began, then stopped. He took a deep breath. Then another. Memories of his childhood asthma came back. All this suppression wasn't good for him.

  
"Lex, look, here's a letter from a guy in Toronto, he's sixteen and…"

  
"Clark," Lex tried again. He and Clark had had many meetings about the campaign. It was going well, thanks to Lex's meticulous planning and Clark's knowledge of how to do an interview from both sides. Superman's approval rating was actually _up_ since Lois' story had hit. Her subsequent interview with him on Metropolis Tonight! had been picked up by the national networks and shown over and over. Web sites devoted to Superman's sex life had sprung up like mushrooms. It was all a great success, if one was looking for publicity.

  
One wasn't, however. One wanted one's boyfriend and living room back. One was getting really damn tired of all these skanky sluts writing dirty letters and sending dirty pictures to one's boyfriend. Who was too nice to ignore any letter, no matter how sleazy. So this was how their evenings were, now, when Clark wasn't out saving the world: Lex and Clark going through Superman's fan mail together and eating takeout. Lex was tired of takeout, too. And Clark was just tired, judging from the way he fell into bed every night and began snoring immediately.

  
"Clark, you're spending too much time on these guys. You have more important things to do." _ME._

  
"They're reaching out to me, Lex," Clark responded, opening another letter.

  
Lex knew that. That was the fucking _problem_. No one reached out to Lex Luthor's boyfriend and drew back anything but a bloody stump.

  
Perhaps it was time to try some of that "sharing your feelings" stuff that Clark was so big on. Lex wasn't very good at it, so he didn't like to do it, but maybe it would get Clark's attention. Clark's attention had all been on Troy and Dale and their ilk lately and Lex wanted it back where it belonged. How did this go, again?

  
"Clark, lately I've been feeling —"

  
The buzzer rang.

  
"Oh, that'll be Lois!" Clark said brightly, springing up. A superspeed whirlwind and all the letters were in Clark's office, where they should have been in the first place, but Clark liked to do this in the living room for some reason. "Let her up, Frank!" he said to the doorman over the intercom.

  
Perfect. Just what he needed to put a button on his evening, Lois Lane in person. He'd forgotten about this promised treat. He went to the bar and poured himself a shot of Scotch. He downed it as he heard Clark greeting Lois and poured himself another.

  
"Lois," he said. "Drink?" At times like this it was best to keep to one syllable sentences. Safer for everyone.

  
"Hi, Lex, thanks. Scotch is fine."

  
"So, Lois, you said you wanted to talk to me about Superman?" Clark asked.

  
"Yeah," Lois agreed. "He's agreed to do another interview. I'd like you to look over my questions. But that's not why I'm here." She sipped her Scotch, waiting.

  
"Why _are_ you here, Lois?" Lex supplied.

  
"I want you two to have a little party for Superman. I have a guest list here." She handed it to Clark. "We have to invite David and Andy, everyone else is negotiable. And if you know anyone you think Superman might be interested in, invite him. Let's give him a choice. He's bound to like one of them."

  
Lex, fortunately for everyone, was speechless.

  
"Uh, Lois," Clark began, glancing at Lex, then quickly looking away. "I think Superman can find his own dates. If he even needs to. He probably has a boyfriend." He nodded rapidly to affirm his statement.

  
"I'm sure he doesn't, or he would have said," Lois said decisively.

  
Damn! Lex and Clark had decided that Superman shouldn't say that he had a partner because that would raise questions about who the partner was. Lex should have anticipated Lois' nosy matchmaking.

  
He wished Clark would let him arrange her transfer to the Katmandu Herald.

  
"You don't know that, Lois, and besides, Superman and I don't really socialize, and I don't think it's any of our business who he dates, and we've been really busy lately, Lex is taking over this big company, and…"

  
Normally Lex would rescue Clark when he was floundering like this, but not this time. Let Clark deal with it. He knew it was irrational to want Clark to declare that Superman was in love with Lex Luthor, but so what. He embraced his irrationality and watched Clark turn red. It served him right for looking at those pictures.

  
"You call yourself his friend, Clark," Lois said, fixing him with a glare, "and friends care about their friends' happiness."

  
Time to be rational. Clark was hopeless. Lex couldn't decide how to handle this, though. The most attractive option, losing his temper, wouldn't be productive. Calmly saying, "No fucking way," wouldn't work, either, not with Lois. She didn't give up.

  
"And if he _does_ have a boyfriend, invite him, too!" Lois said, wrapping up the conversation to her satisfaction. "Tell me when you want to do this, and we'll plan it from there. I have to run — I'm meeting a source ten minutes ago." She put on her coat and left, waving.

  
Lex stalked to the bar to pour himself another drink.

  
"What should we do, Lex?" Clark asked, his voice muffled because he'd buried his face in his hands.

  
Lex's heart melted as he saw Clark so upset.

  
"We'll talk about it tomorrow. We'll figure it out. Let's go to bed now." He set his empty glass on the bar and reached his hand out to Clark.

  
Clark rose, took the hand and hauled him in for a hug.

  
'I need to answer more letters. You go, I'll be there in a while."

  
Lex stiffened against Clark and withdrew himself from the hug.

  
"Okay."

  
~~

  
"So, Superman, tell me about the time you vanquished the Xyrchxian Worm of Death!" some random guy said, leaning close. Either he'd researched it or he was a serious Superman freak, because it wasn't that easy to pronounce "Xyrxchian" correctly.

  
"Nothing to tell," Clark replied, looking around for Lex, who kept disappearing. Ah, there he was at the bar, pouring wine for a long-legged brunette who was wearing way too much makeup and not nearly enough skirt. Clark frowned.

  
"Okay, fine, nothing to tell, great!" random guy said, backing away.

  
Good. Clark was sick of these Superman groupies. It had been bad enough when it was mostly women. Now _everyone_ wanted to feel his biceps. Where had Lois found these guys, anyway? He should have told her No Party. Not that she would have listened. And here she was, standing in front of him, not listening. Not that he'd said anything yet.

  
"Superman!" she exclaimed. "We've barely had a chance to talk, you've been so popular tonight!" Her leer was like an elbow in the ribs.

  
"Yes, it's a nice party," Clark replied. "It was very thoughtful of you and Clark to arrange it. I'm sorry he was called away. And it's very accommodating of Mr. Luthor to agree." He glanced over at Lex, who was now stroking a wineglass while looking up at a tall, dark haired, dazed looking young man. No one else was allowed to look at Lex like that. He tore his eyes away as he felt them heating up and took a deep breath. Of course people were going to look at Lex like that. Clark was always quicker to anger when he was being Superman.

  
"There's someone I'd like you to meet," Lois said, taking his arm and steering him over to a short, stocky man. She made the introductions, informing Clark that Andy was a professor of journalism at Met U, which he knew, having taken classes from him. It was really beginning to bug him when his lives collided this way. Lois was bad enough (in every way, he added to himself snarkily), but now that he'd - that is, Superman - come out, all of his and Lex's friends were speculating about Superman's - his - oh, fuck. He looked around for Lex. Lex always helped him with these identity issues.

  
"…coffee some time?" Lois was asking.

  
"Uh huh," Clark replied absently, glaring at the sight of Lex and yet another tall brunette. This one was female, and she was looking adoringly up at Lex as he gestured to the painting that Clark had given him for his last birthday. Slut! he muttered to himself, not knowing which one of them he meant.

  
"Superman?" the guy, oh right, Andy, asked tentatively. "Is everything all right?"

  
No, everything sucked. His boyfriend, who'd barely acknowledged him all evening, was drinking Ty Nant with someone else! And talking about their special painting! To her! He barely suppressed a growl.

  
"Is it the Justice League, Superman?" Lois asked solicitously.

  
"Yes," he said, seizing on the excuse. He drew a deep breath to calm himself, wondering why Superman's chest always seemed to expand about six times more than Clark's did. He was going to hyperventilate soon. "Sorry, they send me Top Secret communications at the worst times," he added, pandering shamelessly to Lois' love of super news.

  
"Anything you can tell me, Superman?" Lois asked, eyes gleaming.

  
"Nothing important," he shrugged. "So, Andy," he began, realizing how rude he was being, "what do you think about those reporters going to jail rather than reveal their sources?" As if he gave a fuck. Now Lex had moved back to lean against the bar, one hand in his pocket while the other one gripped a glass of Scotch. He had a breathless audience of three overdressed, brown-haired admirers. He looked really hot in his lavender silk shirt. Clark closed his eyes.

  
"… the government," Andy concluded something Clark hadn't heard, but he knew it didn't matter. He remembered his classes with Andy: all lectures, and boring as hell. Apparently he was the same at parties.

  
"Fascinating analysis," Clark said, knowing the feeble answer would pass. Lex had disappeared again. "But I'm not sure I understand your views on the First Amendment." That should hold him while Clark located Lex. Yup, Andy was off again, but where was Lex? He x-rayed the penthouse. It was kind of nice to be able to do it openly.

  
"What are you looking for, Superman?" Lois asked curiously. Oh, shit, he'd forgotten - he didn't have to hide his powers, but he did have something else to hide.

  
"I -" he began, then he saw Lex. He was in the kitchen, sitting on the central island, a brunette between his legs. "Excuse me, I need a glass of water," he said. He walked at human speed to the kitchen, seething the whole way.

  
"Superman!" Lex greeted him gleefully when he entered the kitchen. "I've never had a chance to tell you how much I love your outfit!" He raised his glass, then drank it down.

  
"Here, Lex," the brunette purred, pouring him another drink, then going to the refrigerator - _their_ refrigerator - for ice. She plunked the cubes into Lex's glass, splashing Scotch onto his hand. "Oh, sorry!" she said, not sounding sorry at all as she rubbed Lex's hand.

  
And Lex just sat there on the counter, legs spread wide, cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming. If there hadn't been all these stupid _people_ all over their home, Clark would have spread Lex out even more, right there on the counter. And oh, God, he really couldn't have thoughts like that while he was wearing the uniform.

  
"Thanks, Mimi," Lex said in one of his sexier tones. Clark knew them all, and that one was supposed to be for _him_. He glared at Lex, and Mimi (what a dumb name!), and the other hovering slut.

  
"Something on your mind, Superman?" Lex drawled, leaning back on one elbow and somehow managing to convey that whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be of any interest.

  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, Luthor, there is," he said evenly. "I need to speak with you in private." He crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Now Lex would have to talk to him.

  
"Is it important, Superman?" Lex drawled, moving so that he was leaning back on both elbows, wriggling a little as he got comfortable. No one else wriggled like Lex. "Because Kelly was just about to get some shrimp for us." The over-coiffed, brown-haired, full-lipped man stood up from where he was leaning on the island, drooling at _Clark's boyfriend_ , and went to the refrigerator.

  
"Yes," Clark said. Superman tended to be monosyllabic. He was about deeds, not words. And if Lex didn't stop this shit his next deed was going to be picking Lex up, shaking him, and then tearing all his clothes off. With his tongue. He could do that. Why was Lex acting like this?

  
"Ummmm," Lex murmured as Kelly fed him a shrimp.

  
Clark looked away. The coffee filters ignited.

  
Superman rushed over to put out the fire. Turning back to Lex, he saw both Kelly and Mimi plastered against him, whimpering. The paper towels went up in flames. Clark put them out.

  
"It's not safe in here," he intoned. Superman intoned a lot. "You two," he pointed, "get out. I'll take care of Mister Luthor." And Mister Luthor wouldn't be able to sit down for a week afterwards.

  
Kelly and Mimi scuttled out without a backwards glance.

  
Lex reached for his drink and leaned back again, rumpled and sprawling and acting as if nothing had happened and so fucking sexy…. Clark closed his eyes.

  
"Well, Superman?"

  
"Lex," he said, "what the fuck are you doing?" He put his hands on his hips, then took them off as he realized he was acting like Superman with _Lex_.

  
"Eating shrimp." Lex demonstrated, nibbling slowly. Clark's traitorous cock twitched beneath the spandex. "Mingling. Enjoying your party." He looked up at Clark though half-closed eyes. "Aren't you? You're the belle of the ball."

  
"Mingling? Is that what you call it?" Clark demanded, angrier than before because Lex was acting as if nothing was wrong, as if he hadn't been acting the slut with all those _other people_.

  
"Being a good host?" Lex shrugged.

  
"Acting like a total slut?" Clark suggested, trying to match Lex's coolness and failing miserably, of course. He should know better than to try.

  
"Amusing myself harmlessly while you bask in your groupies' adoration? Won't they be missing you, by the way? You should get back out there. I'll see you later, or tomorrow, or whenever." Lex rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

  
"Lex, I'm not - are you _jealous_?" See, not cool. But he was so surprised. It hadn't occurred to him that Lex might be jealous of all those annoying, boring losers.

  
"No, why would I be jealous?" Lex asked the ceiling calmly. "Why would I mind watching you make small talk with a couple of dozen men, each of whom is dying to get into your red panties? Why would I mind not having a real conversation with you in four weeks because you're too busy answering letters from naked men? Why would I mind going to bed alone night after night while you correspond with people who are obviously more important to you than I am?" He reached for a shrimp without looking.

  
"Lex," Clark began, then ran out of words as all the anger drained out of him. Lex was jealous! That's why he acting like such a brat. A jealous Lex was far from being a new phenomenon, and the fact that Clark hadn't even noticed made him realize how little attention he'd been paying to Lex lately. A wave of guilt overwhelmed him, making him droop. Most of him, anyway. Lex was still staring at the ceiling, his clothes rumpled, his shirt partly unbuttoned, his limbs loose and sprawling. Clark wanted to take him in his arms, rumple him a lot more and undo all his buttons and, even more, his zipper.

  
So he did.

  
"Clark, what are you doing?" Lex demanded. "Put me down!"

  
"Okay," Clark said, setting Lex on his feet but not letting go. He proceeded with the rumpling, interspersing it with unbuttoning and a string of kisses to Lex's neck. He could multi-task. "I'm so sorry, Lex," he murmured into Lex's ear before taking a nibble. "I've been a total jerk. I just got all caught up everything. I was wrong to ignore you, wrong to put strangers before you, wrong wrong wrong to let you go to bed alone." He pulled Lex to him, holding him tightly. "I won't do it again." He bent to kiss Lex, putting everything he had into it. He had quite a lot, and when their lips finally parted Lex looked dazed. "Forgive me?"

  
"Yes, Clark," Lex said, softly, smiling, "I know you've had a lot on your mind, and I know how you get about helping people. But never do that again, understood?" Clark nodded. "I'll punish you later. Just a little." Clark was on board with that idea. He leaned in again, intending to continue with the program, but Lex pushed him away. "Clark, we can't do this here!"

  
"Where better? It's our kitchen, we have sex here all the time." He gave Lex's cock a long squeeze through his pants, then kissed him again. Lex groaned and, pushing into his hand, took over the kiss, licking and biting and mumbling,

  
"Mine," before sucking on his tongue and then swirling his own tongue around. Clark felt like a conquered territory, a really happy, really horny territory. When the kiss ended, they were both breathing hard, flushed and bright-eyed, staring into each others eyes.

  
Which was when Lois walked in.

  
"Superman!" she gasped, staggering back a step. She was so theatrical sometimes. "You and Lex? You cads, you betrayers, you, you…" She was apparently unable to think of a word bad enough to describe them. He thought, fleetingly, that it was kind of nice to see her speechless, before he stepped forward. Lex quickly walked around and stood in front of him.

  
"Spandex," he whispered, so low that only Superman could hear him. Clark looked down at himself and almost blushed. No, Lois didn't need to see that. Lex was so smart, always able to think and act in an emergency. He would no doubt be able to think of a way to explain this, though Clark couldn't imagine how. It didn't matter.

  
"I'm Clark, Lois," he announced. He put a hand on Lex's shoulder and squeezed. "No, Lex," he said as Lex began talking, "I'll handle this." Lex turned his head and gave him a look that would probably incinerate a human, but he stopped talking, which was the point.

  
"What? You, Clark? No way," Lois said, sneering at him. It wasn't a good look on her. "How gullible do you think I am?"

  
He zipped into the bedroom, changed into Clark, and zipped back.

  
"See? No betrayal. I would never betray Lex," he said, standing behind Lex and putting his arms around him.

  
"Holy shit," Lois said, her eyes wide. Clark could see the minute she moved from the personal to the professional. He was used to it. But now what? He'd just handed her the second biggest story of her career, and there wasn't a chance in hell she wouldn't write it. The thought, oddly, made him happy. He was tired of the masquerade. Being two people was confusing, and look what had happened with Lex. He needed to be one person, for himself and for Lex. It was time.

  
"Lois, not a word to anyone until we say so, or I'll tell Perry about that time you snuck into his office with that guy and…"

  
"Shut up," Lois said, blushing, and no wonder. It was quite a story, and Clark hadn't been able to look at Perry's desk the same since.

  
"Not a word," he warned. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

  
"Okay, tomorrow," she agreed. "Exclusive, right?"

  
"Right," he said. "Now let's get back to the party."

  
~~

  
"It's the right thing to do, Lex," Clark insisted. "The being two people, it was tearing me apart. _Us_ apart." He rolled over so that he was spooning Lex and kissed his head.

  
"Oh, all right," Lex grumbled. "If it makes you happy. Besides, if they know you're mine, those groupies will know to back off. It's going to be complicated, though." He reached to the night table for his Blackberry. "We need a plan." He began a list, still lying in Clark's arms.


End file.
